As part of its ongoing look at the greatest football players from colleges throughout the country, Sports Events Guide discusses the South Carolina Gamecocks and the legends that have taken the field throughout the program’s 124-year history. While not considered one of the SEC’s perennial powers, there have been moments throughout South Carolina’s history that have been filled with levels of success met only by the most elite programs in the country, specifically in recent years. These team members have proven themselves, both during their active years and in retrospect, to be the greatest icons that the team has ever seen, truky worthy of the Mount Rushmore of South Carolina Gamecocks football.
Steve Spurrier, Head Coach, 2005-15
While he never played for the team (he played for Florida from 1963-66), Spurrier’s impact on South Carolina’s football team is undeniably massive, as during his tenure, the Gamecocks experienced their highest level of sustained success they’ve ever had. Simply by looking at the program’s overall historical record, Spurrier’s influence is evident. Before Spurrier arrived in Columbia, the team’s overall record was below .500, specifically .495; on the date of Spurrier’s retirement, that mark had jumped up to .513.
Going beyond his record with the Gamecocks, Spurrier led South Carolina to more postseason success than they had ever come close to experiencing before his arrival on campus. The program has been to 20 bowl games in its history, nine of which were under Spurrier. Prior to 2005, the team had never been to a bowl game more than two consecutive years; the Gamecocks went to seven in a row between the 2008-2014 seasons.
Spurrier brought the number one recruit in the nation, Jadeveon Clowney, to South Carolina in 2011, one year after bringing in the number one running back recruit in the country, Marcus Lattimore. It’s nearly undeniable that Steve Spurrier did more for the South Carolina football program than anyone else in its history to date, easily justifying his space on this Mount Rushmore.
George Rogers, RB, 1977-80
As the easiest selection of any player in South Carolina history, George Rogers won the 1980 Heisman Memorial Trophy after an absolutely dominant season. In fact, “dominant” is an accurate way to describe the entirety of Rogers’ career at South Carolina. Rogers led the NCAA in both rushing yards and yards from scrimmage in 1980, both of which are also all-time records that he still owns at South Carolina.
Rogers rushed for over 1,000 yards three times during his four-year career at South Carolina, the first coming in 1978, when he rushed for 1,006 yards despite only starting in eight games. The next season, Rogers topped his previous performance by racking up 1,681 yards on the ground, only to be surpassed one year later, in his Heisman-winning season, when he netted 1,781 rushing yards. Not only did Rogers pick up massive amounts of yards, he also put many points on the board throughout his career; he is tied in second all-time at South Carolina in terms of total touchdowns.
In addition to his 1980 Heisman Trophy, Rogers was also named an All-American that year, and was drafted first overall in the 1981 NFL Draft. His number 38 has been retired by the program, and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.
Connor Shaw, QB, 2010-13
While never considered one of the best quarterbacks in the nation during his time at South Carolina (however fair or unfair that may be), Shaw is the winningest quarterback in team history and is certainly deserving of being immortalized with the other legends of the program. With Shaw at the helm of the offense, the Gamecocks won three consecutive bowl games for the first time in team history from 2011-2013, while also completing three 11-win seasons (the program had only won double-digit games in a season once before in its history: a 10-win season in 1984).
Shaw’s statistics back up just how important and legendary he was while playing for the Gamecocks. In school history, Shaw ranks second in passing touchdowns, five behind leader Steve Taneyhill, despite attempting 476 less passes during his career. Similarly, he ranks fourth in career passing yards despite attempting, on average, over 460 less passes in his career than the three quarterbacks ahead of him on the list. He leads the team all-time in both completion percentage and yards per attempt among qualifying passers. His running ability was also vital to the Gamecocks’ offensive attack, and he ranks 20th all-time in school history in rushing yards, the highest position for any quarterback.
Perhaps Shaw’s most vital ability was his durability, which came into play in one of the most notable games in South Carolina history. On October 26, 2013, South Carolina traveled to Columbia, Mo. to take on the Missouri Tigers. Dylan Thompson started the game for the Gamecocks due to Shaw being sidelined with a knee injury. After the Tigers took a 17-0 lead, Shaw entered the game in relief, eventually engineering a memorable and emotional comeback victory in overtime 33-30. Thanks to Shaw’s heroic performance, as well as a game-ending missed field goal by Mizzou’s Andrew Baggett, the game has become known as the “Shaw-Shank Redemption.”
Marcus Lattimore, RB, 2010-12
While there are a multitude of players deserving to be on South Carolina football’s Mount Rushmore, it’s hard to argue that any individual player had more of an impact on the culture of the program than Marcus Lattimore. A stud in high school, Lattimore was lured to South Carolina after his mother became enamored with coach Steve Spurrier. From the start of his playing days until the current day, Lattimore has become a beloved icon in Columbia and beyond.
Lattimore’s numbers are staggeringly impressive considering the health issues he suffered while in college. He ranks fifth all-time in rushing yards in team history, despite having carried the ball 327 less times in his career than the leader, the aforementioned George Rogers. Lattimore also holds the team’s all-time record for total touchdowns, despite only playing in 29 games in his three-year career. Lattimore’s ability to stay on his feet and power though defenders after being hit, along with his impressive top-end speed in the open field, contributed a great deal of fire power to the exciting South Carolina offenses of the early 2010s.
Today, Lattimore may be known more for the devastating knee injuries he suffered during his college career, but his impact on the program will not soon be forgotten. Possibly the most important, lasting image of Lattimore’s career will be medical personnel attending to him after suffering his career-ending injury versus Tennessee in 2012. The medical treatment is not the most important part of the story, however; the entire rosters of both South Carolina and Tennessee emptied on to the field and surrounded Lattimore, showing support to their beloved friend, teammate and competitor. Mere days later, on October 29, 2012, Marcus Lattimore Day was declared throughout the state of South Carolina. It’s impossible to deny the lasting impact and legacy that Marcus Lattimore left not just on the South Carolina Gamecocks, but on the state of South Carolina and the world of college football as a whole.
Numerous other famous Gamecocks are deserving of recognition and lasting honors and have very solid arguments for being placed on the team’s Mount Rushmore. All-time leading passer Todd Ellis can make a claim, as can some of the incredibly talented wide receivers throughout the program’s history, such as Alshon Jeffery, the late Kenny McKinley and College Football Hall of Famer Sterling Sharpe. One also can’t forget the mark that Jadeveon Clowney left on the team during his stint with the Gamecocks. However, these four men stand out above the rest, for several different reasons, and they create a formidable, memorable and legendary Mouth Rushmore for the South Carolina Gamecocks.
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